To Err Is Human— (Part One)
by FantasyWriterFoSho
Summary: A more mortal Lucifer is in love with Chloe and continuously tries to tell her his feelings, but complications arise when they both must go undercover as a notorious crime couple. When things take a romantic turn, on the job, they both will have to confront their feelings because the more involved they become, the more things are set into motion beyond their control... *AU*
1. Resolve

**Hello, my hellish Readers! ;)**

 **This is my first Lucifer Fic and I hope that you like it!**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Love,**

 **FantasyWriterFoSho**

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 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO THE LUCIFER SHOW/COMICS.**

 **I DO, HOWEVER, OWN SOME OF THE SMALL THINGS, LIKE THE PLOT-LINE OR THE INSPIRED THEORIES/DESIGNS THAT I PERSONALLY INCORPORATED IN HERE :)**

 **…**

 **Chapter One: Resolve**

 **…**

 **A** fter six months of working on various cases, of doing some consulting-slash-detective work and—his _personal_ favorite—of punishing those who deserved it, he knew that there was something wrong with him. Something _fundamentally_ and distinctly wrong with him.

It all began with the little things she did: her constant eye rolling at his sardonic remarks; her brushing back her beautiful, golden brown hair behind an ear; the way she carried herself with both victims and perpetrators alike; her witty banter...but then it all grew into something _more_. Sure, he still wanted her to warm his bed and for her to enjoy the many delights he was sure that he could offer her but, for awhile now, he wanted something more meaningful to occur between them. He started craving for her attention, for her to notice him in the same way that he was noticing her, but it didn't appear to be doing the trick. He didn't seem to be affecting her, or changing her, at all, which not only frustrated him but...it bloody hurt him to the core.

Granted, he was new to the whole mortal concept of _courting_...Normally, he didn't have to think twice, or work hard, where women were concerned, but she was different. She had _always_ been different.

She was his personal mystery—one that he was completely willing to solve for one important reason...

He was in _love_ with her.

He was hopelessly, profoundly and painfully in love with Detective Chloe Decker and he wanted to show her how much she meant to him, but he didn't know how.

All he knew was that she made him feel brand new and that's _exactly_ what he's wanted since the day he emerged from his hellish prison. Chloe, he decided, was his second chance at...at _living_ again, which was something he hasn't done for a long, long time. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he's been more than lonely for the past five years—not to mention the countless eons beforehand—which was something he realized in his now _platonic_ relationship with his therapist. After accepting who he was growing into, all the real feelings and earthy emotions immediately began to bubble to life inside of him, especially the one's that concerned Chloe, but if there was one thing that he had learned during his sessions was that the important things, the _true_ important things, were always worth the wait _and_ the risk.

So, as he starred at himself in the mirror, his dark eyes softly gliding over his reflected features, he swallowed hard. The pit of his stomach was in knots and as he fussed around with his shirt collar, desperately trying to look his best—which wasn't difficult for him to do—he tried to think of the best way to finally confess his feelings to his beautiful detective.

"I've never lied to her," he whispered to himself, slightly tilting his head over to one side. "So, why start now?"

He was about to exit the bathroom when he received an urgent text message from the source of his inner conflictions. Picking up his cellphone, that had been resting comfortably on a corner section of his sink, he clicked on the screen and unlocked the message, his heart fluttering at the mere read of her name and her style of writing. She wanted him to meet her at an abandoned warehouse, as quickly as he could, so he could help with a violent, triple homicide.

Wincing at the details and the location, Lucifer quickly left his penthouse. Already he could feel the need to impress her building strongly inside of him and what better way to do that than to help solve this new case?

Exhaling to calm his flaring nerves, he made his way through Lux's main floor, towards the entrance, his gaze so focused on where he was going that he didn't even notice the quiet, brooding figure of Maze, who was cleaning some empty glasses at the bar.

She just watched, with an empty expression, as he deserted her _and_ the club for the millionth time. Eyes narrowing before they flashed dangerously, she thought of the particular reason for his continuous abandonment or, more accurately, the source of all of _her_ problems: the mortal detective, Chloe Decker...

 **...**

 **Review, favorite and/or follow! All is appreciated! :)**


	2. Sore Revelations

**Wow! Thanks for all of the support! I really appreciate it and because of said appreciation, I feel that I must apologize for the wait. I meant to post this days ago but my long shifts at work had other plans. So, for future notice, if it takes me a long time to post or update this, or any other story, it's because of my job :(**

 **But now, without further ado, here's Chapter Two!**

 **Love,**

 **FantasyWriterFoSho**

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 **Summary** **of the Previous Chapter** **: Lucifer knows, and admits to himself, that he's in love with Chloe and decides to tell her of his feelings soon** — **quite possibly during the next case they'll be working on...**

 **…**

 **Chapter Two: Sore Revelations**

 **…**

 **"F** inally," Chloe called out, when she saw the tall figure of Lucifer approaching her, his stride long and purposeful. "What took you so long? It's been over an hour since I texted you. You missed the majority of the processing..."

"I hit some traffic on my way to this God-forsaken place" he responded with his signature smile, the one that always managed to make her heart beat a degree faster. Just the way he was looking at her now made her feel something she couldn't quite explain but, if she _could_ describe it, it would be equivalent to a whole bunch of convoluted emotions that have been building up to a crazy and explosive height—especially in the last few months—and the more she tried to push it down, the more piercing and annoying it became. Even now, she could feel the redness blossoming on her face, the butterflies stirring in her stomach and a sharp tingle of excitement beginning to curve up her back at the mere sight of him.

Clearing her throat at her profound reaction, she attempted to hide the blush that was inflaming her cheeks by quickly looking back down at one of the covered bodies before her but, like with most things, he managed to catch it. Liking the expression on her face, he raised an intrigued brow, his dark eyes dancing with a burning intensity the closer he got to his love. "You're lucky that I consider our adventures high on my priority list, detective."

"Like you have anything better to do with your time?" she countered, her tone slightly teasing. She didn't look at him but she could feel the gentle breeze that accompanied his arrival at her side. Instantly, his manly fragrance of spice and heat engulfed her senses, making it difficult for her to concentrate on... _concentrating_ when all she wanted to do was to throw herself at him, but she managed to hold herself together by biting the inside of her cheek and reminding herself that there were people around her. She knew better than to bait him. He already had a sexual interest in her, there was no need to goad him on it, but she couldn't seem to help herself nowadays. He always had that charismatic personality but lately...lately she felt herself succumbing to his smiles, his charms and— _God_ help her—his not-so-subtle innuendos but, somehow, she always muscled through them.

 _Maybe it was the will of The Almighty_ , she thought, trying not to roll her eyes at the absurdity of it all; of Lucifer's delusions. If anything was responsible for her resistance, it was of her _own_ making, not of some powerful, omnipotent deity. _I mean, if he does exist, _she thought offhandedly to herself. _Then that would just about change everything_...

Exhaling softly, it finally hit her that he didn't respond back to her comment; that he was unusually quiet. No sarcastic response or guttural sounds of any kind. Biting the inside of her cheek harder, she was in the midst of regretting what she had said when he then replied, his tone suspiciously light and conversational.

"I admit that I'm not as busy as I once was in my hell hole of a prison, but I do have a successful club to run and even though Maze has done an exceptional job in my absence, I rather miss the business side of it."

At that, she looked at him, one of her brows raised in skepticism. "Are you saying that you now find your consulting work _boring_?"

Chuckling at how she emphasized the last word with a British accent, he bestowed her question with a wicked grin before lowering himself so that his face was inches away from hers. "Oh, I'll never say that. Besides, what's better than saving innocent victims and punishing the evil with a lovely woman by my side?"

Breath hitching at his expression, she shook her head and shrugged, trying to play off his pointed words over the loud thundering of her heart. If she thought about it, he probably _did_ have something he could be doing rather than spending his time with her. He could be binge drinking, playing numerous catchy tunes on his piano, having some of his infamous threesomes...and the Lord only knew what else, but the fact that he always answered when she needed him made her feel relatively special. Besides, she too enjoy their little "adventures", as he called them...

 _Ignoring all of his Prince of Darkness weirdness_ , she mused quietly to herself again, her eyes slightly glazing over with past images. _He's_ _really essential in catching the bad guys_ —

"Detective?"

— _I mean, the last six months of working with him alone produced more positive results than most cops could ever hope for_ —

"Detective?"

— _so if that's the case, then why do I feel like this_? _So...weird and...and_ —

"Chloe?!"

She was immediately snapped out of her reverie with a sudden and sharp jerk. Looking back at him, she noticed that he had, somehow, grabbed both of her shoulders in an effort to acquire her attention, a curious and worried tint shading his eyes when he began to draw her in close; his touch warm, but firm. Next thing she knew, her chest and thighs were pressed against his while his face was inches away from hers, again. Hazy from the intimate and close contact, she found her gaze wandering over his high cheekbones and aristocratic nose before she pulled away, allowing them to sweep down his muscular neck and broad shoulders in a swift, but fluid, motion.

Lucifer would be the first to admit that he may have overstepped his bounds when he attempted to wipe that unfocused look from her eyes by physically jarring her; however, he _definitely_ knew that he overstepped his bounds when he had _brought_ her _to_ his more-than-willing body. He could say that it was unconsciously or instinctually done, but that was only half true. What he really desired was to comfort her in someway; the sensation, of which, was still new to him—despite experiencing it often whenever he's around her.

It was all _very_ frustrating. He went from aroused to concerned to wanting to provide her with some solace to aroused (once more), in a matter of seconds, and he didn't know if she had just been reacting to what he had said or if she was thinking about their new assignment or something _else_ entirely, but either way, he felt compelled to act.

She just looked so lost and conflicted...and to say that he knew how that felt would be the understatement of several eons.

Reluctantly letting her go and taking a step from her, he gathered his frayed wits behind a mask of composed indifference. Now wasn't the time. They had a new case to deal with and if she already had something pressing on her mind, he didn't want to add to her plate. He'll have to find another way or outlet to properly express himself. _Oh, how my temperament has changed_...

"Are you alright?" he asked, acting as if their close contact had never happened or that it meant nothing to him. "You look positively unnerved, detective."

Almost falling forward, due to his abrupt lack of support, Chloe buckled before trying to regain some of the professional composure she had earlier by brushing some of her already smoothed hair behind an ear and breathing deeply. After glancing about, nervously, at the other people swarming around them—none of whom were paying the two any mind—she answered him, her voice cracking, "Huh? W-what? No, yeah...I'm f-fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh," she began, inwardly wincing at how she must sound to him. She already felt strange for her feelings; she didn't need to act like a bumbling idiot around him as well. Putting some more distance between them, Chloe took a hasty, but careful, step to her left before carrying on, making several unscripted gestures with her hands. "Yeah, um, I was just thinking about the possible motive for, um, these murders...here..."

Not believing her one bit, Lucifer opened his mouth to say something, but then immediately closed it, once again stopping himself from entering into a confrontation with her.

"Anyway," she suddenly pushed out, moving the topic back to what brought them to that warehouse. If she had been looking at him, she would've seen his eyes widen then dramatically normalize at the change of topic. "So, we have one mutilated body on this lower level and two more up top. All were found lying on their backs with multiple stab wounds to their necks and torsos. Their eyes were all gouged out and...and as for prints, there were none since their fingers and teeth were forcibly removed; however, they all have unidentified, large tattoos on their right arms. So, we could possibly get something off of that..."

"As you stated in the text message," he commented as he moved towards the body and squatted down, lifting up the cover to see the damage. "That's positively revolting."

"I know, it's horrible. It's such a painful way to go."

"I meant _who_ , in their right mind, would vandalize their skin with these _kind_ of markings?" He displayed his meaning by further lifting up the cover, revealing the deceased's unveiled, bloodied right arm that was practically coated in black ink. "Honestly, what's the point?"

Rolling her eyes, she left his inappropriate inquiry unanswered when she spotted the coroner and a few others approaching them. Moving towards Lucifer, she tapped him on the shoulder, indicating that it was time for him to drop the subject and to also step away from the body. Nodding his head, he gracefully pushed himself back onto his feet and stretched out his long legs with a few shakes.

They both watched in silence when the body was subsequently bagged and carted away for further investigation before they spoke again, their voices more hushed.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Lucifer asked, sticking his hands into his pant's tailored pockets.

"Really? After months of working together, you still don't know what follows this point?"

Raising a brow, he gave her a simple look. "No need to be cheeky, detective. I was asking on formalities sake but I should've clarified. What I should've asked was whether we should go to the headquarters first or whether we should do some investigational digging into those tattoos by ourselves?"

Tilting her head at his suggestion, she then offered him a genuine, proud smile. "Those are good ideas. Look at you being all detective-like."

Lucifer couldn't help but to beam at her praise. His need to impress her was working—minus what happened a few minutes ago. Glancing down at her face, he drank in all of her beautiful features, particularly her eyes and lips. Fighting the urge to pull her into him again, to satisfy his cravings, he clasped his hands behind his back, breathed deeply and looked away. Oh, how he would love to do nothing but stare at her all day, without a care in the world, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized how difficult it all would be. He hasn't answered him or given him a sign, but he knew that his Father was getting ready to make His move. He didn't know how or when but it was imminent, given their past history and complicated relationship.

But this battle would be exceedingly different than the ones before it. At this point in time, he had something _worth_ loosing should he fail in his quest for his freedom...

A darkness then fell over Lucifer's face, when he thought about his weakness, wiping away any trace of his previous joy and contentment, while also lowering his resolve from earlier. He would be _damned_ if Chloe got caught in the crossfire because of either his feelings or out of sheer, angelic retribution—hell, he would damn _himself_ if that happened! So when a painful thought fluttered through his mind, he did all he could do to not fall over from the intense weight of it all...

 _Maybe it would be better if I keep her at a distance_? —His stomach knotted at the idea while his skin involuntarily shuddered, but if he _was_ loosing his immortality and becoming human—the emotions alone confirmed that he was—then perhaps it _was_ time for him to start putting his affairs in order and start thinking more...selflessly.

So, instead of telling her of his feelings later that day, like he planned on doing, he would have to settle with _not_ telling her...at all.

A sort or numbness prickled over his body when he glanced back at his detective, who had been talking about the case the entire time. Harshly swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth, which trailed a burning sensation all the way down to his empty stomach, he managed to catch the hindmost of her speech.

"...they thought that it was gang related but I think it's something more than that. The attacks were too brutal. Anyway, out of your suggestions, I pick the latter. I really want to know what those markings mean too. Besides, another investigator will also be handling it, so, if they need us for anything, they can call us. Though, I suspect that they'll have their hands full with all the evidence filing and debriefing..."

"Exactly," he acknowledge thickly before he suddenly pivoted into the direction of their parked cars—his sitting directly beside hers. His heart was hurting but if he valued her life more than his own, which he did, wholeheartedly, then he had no choice but to put her first. Pushing down his overwhelming feelings, he glanced over his shoulder at her, the light in his eyes now dim. "In any case, it'll be better, all around, if they left the identification findings in our capable hands..."

Slightly running to catch up to him, Chloe gave him a side glance. "Planning on using your superpower on these guys when we find them?"

"But of course."

"Planning on letting the justice system deal with them accordingly afterwards?"

"Why must you limit my fun on our adventures?" he asked with a stiff smile, finding it hard to mask his agony even through their usual bantering.

Unable to stop the laughter from bursting past her lips, Chloe stopped and covered her mouth, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil her partner was feeling. Ending it in a long sigh, she apologized before walking past him to her car, her tied hair bouncing from side-to-side in an effortless swinging motion. "Come on," she invited with a head tilt, walking to the driver's side, a faint smile on her lips when she looked at him. "Let's get a head start on our research."

Sighing, Lucifer followed behind her without another word. His mind was too busy reeling from his choice. One moment, he thinks that he can find bliss with the woman he loves, but in the next, a blinding revelation reveals that he can't...

...as a human but especially as a Devil.

 **...**

 **Thanks for reading. I honestly never thought that I would feel sorry for Lucifer, but I do. Unfortunately, things** **will get a lot worse before they'll get better... :/ Stay with me, but brace yourselves!**

 **Tell me what you think!**


	3. Dead End

**Hey guys!**

 **Sorry, sorry, sorry for the wait! You can blame it on my job!**

 **I hella missed writing this story, so, I hustled and wrote this piece. I simply had to post something before the debut of the Second Season today! Yay!**

 **Okay, here's the new chapter! I hope that you like and enjoy it!**

 **Love,**

 **FantasyWriterFoSho**

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 **Summary** **of the Previous Chapter** **: Lucifer made it to the crime scene and while he was there, he came to some realizations about his feelings for Chloe, making him decide not to tell her that he's in love with her. Also, the detective mulled over some things herself.**

 **They then leave to do some research on the murder.**

 **…**

 **Chapter Three: Dead End**

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 **"Y** ou know," Chloe began, her eyes roaming over both the streets of LA and the passenger in her car, who hadn't made a peep since they had got into the vehicle. "We're not playing the _quiet_ game. You are allowed to talk...you know? Your _favorite_ thing to do?" She smiled at the last bit, but when she glanced over at him, it faded away.

He was uncharacteristically tense.

Though sitting normally, he was leaning into the car door with one hand balled up on his thigh and the other propped up underneath his chin, causing his elbow to slightly stick out of the open window. He had been staring at the passing buildings, his thoughts completely elsewhere, when her voice finally registered, snapping him out of his foggy daze. Closing his eyes, but only for a moment, he chose to remain silent; however, his already strained fist suddenly began to whiten at the knuckles and his shoulders began to stiffen, bunching up closer to his neck.

Completely concerned at his unknown ailment, her brows furrowed. "Um, are you ok?"

Flexing some of his fingers beneath his chin, he replied, his face still turned away. "I'm fine."

"You don't _look_ or _sound_ fine," she contradicted easily. "Come on, tell me what's on your mind. _Partner's_ share."

Lucifer shifted in his seat, uncomfortably. "It's...it's nothing, detective. I'm just...just thinking about my options..."

"Options? _What_ options?" she prodded, stopping at a red light. "About the case?"

Clenching his jaw, he absentmindedly shook his head. He really wanted to tell her what he was thinking. Every second, that he had spent in the car, had felt like a thousand punches to his heart and, though he was still fairly immune to physical injury, he _wasn't_ when it came to emotional afflictions. He never knew heartbreak till this day. Sure, he had experienced some sadness and pain when his Father and his brother had kicked him out of Heaven, but _nothing_ compared to this. It was...so _raw_ , staggering and...and so... _human_.

Inwardly groaning, he briefly glanced up at the sky. His Dad had wanted his creations to grow from their experiences and interactions, despite their flaws and free will. Some took the wrong path, without repentance, which brought them down to his doorstep, while others accepted the challenge and rose above things— _literally_ —but the Devil wasn't meant to have these emotions.

He wasn't _meant_ for this kind of life style...

The _Devil_ had other responsibilities to take care of...

He shouldn't have to deal with these feelings bubbling up inside of him and driving him crazy. He shouldn't be experiencing _this_ type of agony. He shouldn't be, he shouldn't be, he shouldn't be... _but_ he _was_.

Confused, surprised and worried about his fixed silence, Chloe exchanged looks between him and the long light, her eyes surveying the latter's stressed brows, cheeks and chin. Something was bothering him, that much was certain, but what was it? Was it the murder? ...Was it _her_? ...His behavior _did_ change after they had left the crime scene, so...she could very well be a possibility, but _why_? How could _she_ possibly bother a spoiled, club owner, who's only spending time with her to prevent himself from getting too bored?

She then opened her mouth to say something to him, but nothing came out. Releasing a breath, she looked forward again and waited a couple more seconds—till the lights finally changed green—but she could feel her patience wearing thin. She _did_ manage to last a few turns before she then calmly, yet spontaneously, pulled the car over and readdressed him, the tires slightly squeaking from the sudden pitstop.

"Lucifer?" Chloe began firmly, unnerved by his lethargic and unresponsive attitude. He didn't even notice that she had stopped! " _Lucifer_ ," she repeated, her voice carrying a little more weight and authority to it. When he continued staring out of the window, a distinct glaze in his eyes, she instinctually reached out and touched the balled up hand on his thigh, impulsively feeling the need to touch him.

That did the trick.

He slightly jumped at the feel of her and instantly looked up at Chloe. "What? Did you say something?"

"Several times, in fact," she said, her hand still on his. "Tell me what's going on. What 'options' were you talking about?"

It was his turn to furrow his brows. He had been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't really been paying attention to what was being said— _himself_ included. He just blurted out an edited version of the truth, which wasn't completely out of character for him, it _was_ something that he's done before, but with _her_...things have always been... _different_. She made everything so complicated, for him, in the last year that he didn't know which way was up and which was down, but as the warmth of her hand began seeping into his, he instantly started to feel those familiar stirrings in the pit of his knotted stomach and miserable, rotted heart.

 _You can't endanger her_ , he thought. _She deserves a happy life and that's not going to be with you_...

Reluctantly, Lucifer then pulled his hand out from under hers and brought it up to his chest, the pain he felt in there becoming unbearable. Covering his actions by fluidly crossing his arms, he finally answered her question, his face transforming into his normal, charming façade. "Nothing personal, my dear detective. I was just referring to our case. Now, where should we head to for our research? The library? Or should we do something more exciting like, finding some of those pitiful sidewalk gang members and _punching_ it out of them?"

Slowly retracting her own hand, which had been hovering above his thigh, Chloe narrowed her eyes. She wasn't buying it. He was acting unusual— _more_ so than normal—and she was definitely getting the impression that it _was_ because of her. "I already asked you if you were talking about the case, but you completely zoned out on me. Tell me what's _really_ going on, Lucifer. You're not acting like yourself."

"You're incredibly spot on, detective," he replied bitterly, referring to his _less_ Devil and his _more_ human persona. He had to bury it. He had to bury his oncoming and relentless mortal emotions if he was to survive alongside his Father's pets and as hard as _that_ notion was going to be for him, he knew that it was the right thing for him to do. Returning her gaze with a darker one of his own, he continued. "I've been acting foolish, as of late, but that's all over now. So," he paused while looking around, finally noticing that they weren't moving. "Shall we get back on track? We do have a murder to solve."

Shocked by his sudden change of demeanor, she leaned back into her seat and roamed her eyes over his face. Everything inside of her was screaming. Her gut was telling her that something was wrong, her head wanted her to drop the matter, but her _heart_ wanted to help him with whatever it was that _was_ bothering him, but as she looked at him, she knew that now wasn't the right time. She'll have to deal with it later. They did have something more important to do at the moment. "Sure," she responded, ignoring that empty, sinking feeling one gets when they've gone against their natural instincts.

Refocusing on driving, she shifted and looked over her left shoulder, making sure nobody was in her way before she pulled back onto the road, her mind a complete jumble.

"Where are we headed?" he then asked, doing his best to steer the conversation away from his struggles. "Some place _fun_ , I hope?"

"By 'fun', you mean _what_ exactly?" she responded, half-relieved at their usual banter but, also, half-hollow...because she knew that it wasn't real.

"I don't know...that option of punching some gang members is always a productive thing to do. If not for myself, then for society's sake..."

Slightly smiling, she made a left turn at a corner. "What is it with you and harming street criminals?"

His eyes widened, as if he was surprised that she had to ask him that question. Adjusting his seating and crossing his incredibly long legs in front of him, he rambled off a list, with the help of his slim fingers. "Their hyped up, thuggish attitudes; their poor taste of clothing; that droning-and-wailing-of-a-sound that they consider _music_ ; their need to use unnecessary violence on innocent people; their choice of art symbols, or _graffiti_ , that are littered _everywhere_ you look; their—"

"Alright," she interrupted, raising her right hand for emphasis. "I'm sorry that I asked."

Finally allowing himself a proper glimpse of her, Lucifer offered a small smile in her direction. "You know you didn't answer _my_ question of where we're going..."

"Imagine that," she stated upon parking the car, an unreadable glint in her eyes—which he noticed right away. "Ok," she suddenly said, her voice high enough to get his attention. "I would suggest that you stay in the car _but_ we all know how that would go in the long run, so, let's go."

"You mean, _threaten_ me, to stay in the car," he remarked dryly, watching her carefully before she opened her door and stepped out. "And _where_ are we exactly, detective? I must insist that you inform me at once..."

Still in the door, Chloe then bent down, to see his face, before giving him a mysterious grin. "We're visiting one of my informants."

He gave her a look before he glanced around, truly taking in his surroundings for the first time. "A _squalor_? You've taken me to a _squalor_?!" He then pushed himself up in his seat to get a better view of where they actually were, his eyes wide. They were in one of the ghetto areas in LA, complete with old decrepit houses, trash on the inked sidewalks and rustic looking lawns. "Oh, bloody hell! He lives _here_?! ...How...how _tragic_!"

"It's not like he _chose_ to live here," she said, rolling her eyes. Sometimes, he amazes her with how much he's changed and _matured_ , since she first met him—especially with his emotions and general attitude towards people—but _then_ she witnesses that childish, entitled and backwards-way-of-thinking persona of his and finds herself rethinking her earlier assumption. It was fascinating, reassuring and infuriating all at the same time. "Not everybody can live a life similar to your's, yah know..."

"The poor sod," he said with a real sense of sadness before he suddenly changed again, instantly relying on that sardonic wit of his in order to cover up his true feelings. "Well, I guess it's all a part of my Dad's plan in the long run. _Survival of the fittest_ and what not..."

"...Isn't that one of Darwin's concept of evolution?" she asked with pursed lips and a raised brow.

"Yes, yes, true, true," he dismissed, waving his hand in the air before placing it onto the handle. "But _who_ do you _think_ inspired that man with _said_ 'concept'?" When he then glanced over at Chloe and noticed her mixed expression, he sighed.

There it was. That all too familiar skepticism of her's.

He was all for her having a strong and opinionated approach to life, but her unwillingness to accept the Supernatural was _really_ beginning to wear him down, in more ways than one. "Far be it from me to promote or give _Him_ any credit," he stated rather neutrally, earning another look from Chloe. "Personally, I abhor the notion, but the truth is the truth, isn't it, detective?" Without giving her the opportunity to reply, he followed up his own question, his attitude once again shifting before her eyes. "Anyway, in _any_ situation, I'm _coming_ with you. I don't want to subject you to this poor man's company _alone_."

Smoothly opening, then slipping out of the vehicle, he stood up and resurveyed his surroundings, his face the picture of revulsion. Fixing his suit's jacket with a quick tug of the hem, he fastened the top button before walking around the front of the car towards her, his intent to escort her obvious in his movements.

Shaking her head, Chloe took a step back and closed her own door. "I should've known that you would mention your ' _family_ ' sometime today..."

"My _family_ has a knack of inserting themselves into humanity and their problems," he began, slightly frowning when she began closing the distance between them. "It's all quite exhausting and I apologize if my bringing them up bothers you, detective."

Blinking back her surprise, she found herself swallowing her next statement. Her mouth opened then closed when her eyes instantly met his. She never _knew_ how he did it, but with a simple look, he _always_ managed to affect her. They were so intense, focused and incredibly unique that they had a way of pulling her in...

Immediately clearing her throat, she then forced herself to look down at her shoes, hoping that her thoughts hadn't been playing on her face. "It's not...you're not...um...bothering me..."

"Did I fluster you, detective?" Lucifer asked with that infamous smirk of his, his eyes now completely illuminated by her embarrassment. "I do believe that you're blushing..."

"Let's, uh, let's focus on the case, shall we?"

"...As you wish," he answered after a short pause, that same smile still plastered on his face when she brushed past him to get to the door. Ignoring the fluttering of his heart, he followed her, his footsteps soft. Allowing some space in-between them, he wavered at the bottom of the two steps. "However," he suddenly interjected, his tone somewhat dry. "I do hope that this person has a better interior than what I'm presently being _forced_ to look at."

Rolling her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder at him with mock sympathy. "Afraid not, your Majesty, but don't worry. This won't take long, _hopefully_." She found herself smiling at his subsequent and dramatic sigh before she turned back around and raised her hand. Loudly knocking on the door, she waited, but when nobody answered or called out from within, she glanced downward and instantly stopped all of her movements.

"Detective?" Lucifer asked, immediately closing in beside her, not liking her bizarre hesitation. Leaning in, over her right shoulder, he then looked down at her face and noticed that she was staring at something. After following her focused gaze, he found himself viewing the entry's knob, which had strange markings around its handle. Furrowing his brow, Lucifer addressed their new problem, in a whisper. "It's been tampered with..."

Nodding her head, Chloe silently cleared her throat. "Tampered with" was a light way of describing what she was looking at. From their parked car, the damage wasn't visible, but now that she was standing directly in front of it—and not allowing herself to be _distracted_ —it was plain to see that an uninvited person had "welcomed" themselves inside. Brute force had been used around the deadbolt and there were small, scattered piles of splintered wood, twisted metal and dry paint on the step she was currently occupying.

Now, they weren't visiting a _nice_ area, but a crime was a crime, and _this_ house had all the signs of a classic breaking and entering... _and_ possibly _more_...

On high alert, her training immediately kicked in. Breathing deeply, Chloe made eye contact with Lucifer, who thankfully seemed to understand the gravity of their situation. Reaching for her gun, she removed it from its holster and hunkered down. After pressing a free finger to her lips, she then quietly pushed open the door, which slid away from them with a disturbing amount of ease. Slipping inside the ill-lit room, they both managed to move about without making too much noise, their eyes steely and concentrated.

"I'll go upstairs, you stay on the main floor. Don't do anything stupid," Chloe whispered, already making her way up the steps, with both of her hands now gripping the weapon. Lucifer was about to protest, but since he knew that it would be pointless, he did as she commanded and continued his observations with great intent.

Making a sharp right turn, he found himself in what he _assumed_ to be the kitchen, which was the _worse_ thing he had ever seen...and that was saying _something_ —given where he's lived the majority of his long life. Scrunching up his nose, he tried to ignore the repugnant smell that was assaulting him with every breath. The majority of the dishes were dirty and stacked up in various positions on the countertop, which, in of _itself_ , was a _nightmare_ with all of its stains and dead cockroaches atop the marble surface. The silverware was a different story. Some were strewn over plates while others covered the moldy floor, making it rather difficult for him to find a clean spot to step in and "evaluate" things better.

Sighing rather loudly, he opted to leave the room quickly, using whatever was left of his willpower and innate stealthiness to _not_ disturb the disorderly and cluttered space. With some long strides and well-placed hops, he then entered through the adjoined door, unaware that he would be walking straight into a dark and grimy setting.

Squinting, he slowed down and softened his movements, his old instincts taking ahold of his more human ones within seconds. He could see a few discarded, wooden chairs had been overturned and a few picture frames had fallen onto the floor, off to both sides, but when he continued _into_ the area, he then saw something _more_ alarming. Despite the density and the darkness surrounding him, he managed to see a peculiar shape lying on the ground, abandoned beneath several of the upset and broken furniture.

Tilting his head, he then glanced back at the walls, behind him, his expression detached and collected. After locating a light switch, he slowly moved towards it, trying not to bump into anything unexpected. Running a hand over the bumpy surface, he flicked it on, making the bulbs pop and crackle to life above him. Shifting back, he returned his attention to what he had discovered and instantly, his mouth set into a knowing and haunting line.

Though the hue was dim and unflattering, it couldn't hide what he had suspected.

Breathing deeply through his nostrils, he continued observing the bloody body from where he stood.

Fighting the urge to call out to Chloe, he looked about the plain space, taking in everything that could be of use to them—before they sounded the alarm. Raising a scrutinizing brow, he shook his head.

The longer he stayed, the more he could feel the ire begin to rise inside of himself at the extraordinary and desperate length's humanity would go to, in order to protect themselves from their fears. It disgusted him. Here he was, the Devil—or formerly known as _The Devil_ —being persecuted for the sins he had committed against his Father, for all eternity—as well as being blamed for _their_ transgressions—and _then_ , there was _his_ Dad's creation, His _own_ "self-images"...whose acts and self-righteousness _continued_ to live on and _thrive_...

Sure, Lucifer was the one who was _supposed_ to get his hands dirty and deal with them in their afterlife, but if _more_ heavenly intervention was spared sometime during their earthly stay, things would be a lot better—especially for the innocent, which were his main concern.

...Just _one_ look at that dead man inside told him that he had lived a hard life and didn't deserve the miserable fate he was _humanly_ dealt...

And _that_ is one of the reasons _why_ he left Hell.

He couldn't handle it anymore: the blame, the death, the loneliness...the persecution...the unfairness of the whole ordeal...

He was a _fallen_ Angel, in more ways than one, and right now, he was acutely aware of _why_...

Narrowing his eyes at his own musings, he suddenly turned around and left the room, where he continued in his search before ultimately making his way back to the entrance. Arriving in seconds, he glanced up the stairs, that Chloe had gone up, and was about to climb them himself when he then spotted her figure coming down towards _him_. Swallowing hard at his inner reaction, he then cleared his throat, immediately earning her attention.

"Nothing," she whispered while slowly making her way down the stairs, her eyes fully on him. Smoothly re-holstering her gun, she carried on, her hands now on her hips. "Minus, the busted front door and some discarded crap I found upstairs, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Is this level clear?"

Nodding his head, he then replied, his voice rather emotionless. "How fortunate for you, detective, that you didn't find anything. _I_ , on the other hand, did."

Her eyes immediately lit up with weariness and concern. "What? What did you find?" she asked, her tone louder.

"...His body..."

Chloe's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?" When he answered her back with a pointed nod, she shook her head and, again, reached for her gun. "Show me."

"There's no need for _that_ ," he said, lifting a finger at her weapon. "The dead can't fight back on this plane...well, not in _this_ way..."

Rolling her eyes, she dropped then waved her right hand in his direction. "But of course. Lead on."

Frowning for a moment, he then quickly led her to the place where he had made his discovery. Shifting off to his left, he gave her enough space, so she could see it. "There..."

"Damn," she said with a noticeable sadness tinting her features. Steadily moving closer, she tried not to disturb the scene by carefully raising her hands and tiptoeing closer—in certain areas. Standing to the body's right, she leaned in and observed the bloody corpse from top to bottom, her face scrunching up at the beaten profile. "It's him alright...dammit." Looking over her shoulder at a, once again, passive and quiet Lucifer, she sighed. "We have to call this in."

"Yes," was the only reply she received before she then ushered them both out of the house, taking in any useful tips with her before she radioed for backup, giving them their second homicide of the day.

After standing close to the porch for a few minutes, waiting for more cops and detectives to show up, she then turned around and called out to Lucifer, who had moved away from her in order to lean and stretch against her car. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were unexpectedly hard when she spoke to him. "Well, you were right..."

Raising a brow, he waited for her to clarify, his interest peaked.

Looking down and then over at some of the yellowing grass beside her, she continued, her tone indescribable. "This house _is_ tragic..."

A few seconds later, the sound of sirens began blaring through the streets, making them both turn towards the approaching ambulance and the three cars behind it with solemn expressions.

 **...**

 **Tell me what you think! And thanks for sticking by this story!**


	4. Twists and Turns

**Here's another chapter!**

 **Technically, I** **finished this a few days ago, but I only started the editing process today, soooo...yah... :)**

 **Enjoy, loves!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **FantasyWriterFoSho**

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 **Summary** **of the Previous Chapter** **: Chloe tried reaching out to a distant Lucifer, on their way to her informant's house, but he wasn't exactly in the mood for sharing; however, that was the least of her problems when they ended up discovering another body...**

 **…**

 **Chapter Four: Twists and Turns**

 **…**

 **C** hloe and Lucifer remained outside, watching as the cops first blocked off the streets and corners—with the all-too-familiar yellow caution tape—before going to inspect the new gruesome crime scene, leaving them with only a handful of people for company.

With both of them now standing near the car, Chloe sighed then rubbed at her forehead. "This is all a mess," she stated quietly, staring at the house before turning to look at the man beside her. His eyes were hard as he zoned in on the front door, his vision casually shifting from person to person as they entered, or exited, through the wide open entryway. His demeanor was reminiscent of when he had been sitting in the car, with his hand propping up his chin and his single-minded focus, but there _was_ a difference. It was the _tension_. He wasn't as stiff...but he _was_ rigid with an untold amount of rage.

"I don't know if it's connected or not," she continued, stepping in closer, unsure if he could hear her. "But it's all pretty suspicious. What do you think?"

"I _think_ ," he began, removing his hand from his chin, dropping both limbs down to his sides. He didn't see it, or he chose not to acknowledge it, but when he spoke, Chloe's eyes widened with shock. It was his tone. There wasn't any emotion in it. No cockiness, no happiness, no annoyance, _nothing_. He just sounded so...so _dead_ inside. "I think that we should be _in_ there instead of waiting out here like a couple of bloody rookies..."

"Afraid that you're missing out on all of the action?" she asked sardonically, folding her arms across her chest, recovering quite nicely from her surprise. "And technically, _you_ are a rookie, in terms of consulting and aiding investigators," she added the last part when he gave her a pointed look. " _I'm_ just out here to make sure that you remain on your best behavior when the Lieutenant arrives..."

Returning his gaze to the entrance, he replied, his tone noticeably lighter. "I may be a rookie in _this_ field, my dear detective, but I assure you that my skills will be far more useful _in_ there."

Tilting her head, she raised a brow. "Your 'tell me your desires' skills?"

"No," he replied, vaguely. A smile then crept onto his face, making her sigh in relief. She always liked him better when he was a happy mixture of serious and playful—she thought that it gave him more of a mysterious range. "I have far more talents than just _that_ one, believe me..."

"I'm sure that you do," she said, earning a scintillating side-glance from him. "But right now, none of _those_ matter. We have to—" Her voice faded out when she found herself interrupted by a commanding voice.

"Chloe, Lucifer..."

"Speaking of the, well, _me_ ," he sarcastically remarked with a slight hand flourish before pocking them both into his trousers, his face once again settling into a more serious expression. Ever since he had discovered his true feelings towards Chloe, he had cut off any intimate attachments, or innuendos, towards the _entire_ female spectrum in the hopes of impressing the former—and that included their _boss_. She didn't appreciate it very much, and often found ways of flirting with him, despite his constant rejections, but there wasn't much that she could do about it. He was very useful to the group and if she fired or dismissed him, she would be jeopardizing their impressive and growing conviction rate...

Turning towards the approaching woman—one more lethargic than the other—they both watched as their Lieutenant glanced at the house then back at them, her strides long and quiet. When she stood directly in front of the pair, she exhaled sharply. "How bad is it? Does it resemble the triple homicide from the warehouse?"

"It's pretty bad," Chloe answered, recalling her informant's bloody body, as well as the three from earlier. "It doesn't appear to be related to the other victims, but we _are_ still waiting for the coroner's report on the first set. _And_ from what I saw, he seemed to have suffered from several blows to his head instead of multiple stab wounds and mayhem..."

" _Also_ ," Lucifer interjected, his voice clear. "The scene appears to have been staged..."

"Really?" Lieutenant Monroe asked with wide, interested eyes. "How so?"

"Several objects appeared to have been placed: some picture frames and some of the chairs in the room..."

"Who discovered the body?"

"I did," he responded evenly, immediately sensing a flirtation opportunity from his "boss", which he based solely on the increasing engrossment blooming in her features.

"How _astute_ of you, Lucifer," she then said with an upturned smile. Moving closer to him, she then leaned in, exposing the top part of her breasts via her low cut blouse. Her accompanying navy jacket did absolutely _nothing_ to hid her figure from prying eyes and he was willing to bet that _that_ was done on purpose. "I always knew that you would be a valuable asset to my team..."

Feeling very uncomfortable, Chloe cleared her throat, trying to hold back the bile she felt rising in there. Looking down, for a moment, she fought the urge to roll her eyes at the desperate and disgusting sight in front of her. " _Alright_ , well," she began a little too forcefully. Pausing for a moment, to recheck her tone, she elaborated further. "I agree with him. Things definitely looked a bit odd..."

Nodding her head, Lt. Monroe resumed her original position, distancing herself away from the alluring man with a few backward steps. Furrowing her brows, she straightened her back and crossed her arms at the polite, yet, detached smile he was now giving her. It was very...business-like and she wasn't particularly fond of it. The first time she had met him, he was a charming and sexual individual, one that reeked of untamed masculinity, but for more than a few months, he has been acting _very_ strange. He hardly flirted with her anymore, or _anyone_ , and she missed it—she really, _really_ missed it...

Pouting at his change in attitude and at his present indifference towards her, she replied back rather firmly. "I'll keep those both in mind, meanwhile, you two are in charge of this case, mainly _you_ , Chloe. I want to know all of the new developments." She then turned around to walk over to her parked car, which was on the other side of the street, before continuing over her shoulder, loudly. "Unfortunately, I can't stay. I have other cases to attend to and a very pissed off Mayor to pacify..."

"Of course," Chloe acknowledged in the same tone, exchanging a look between her boss and Lucifer, who had resumed his house-glaring the moment the former had left. "I'll call you with the details as soon as I can get them!" Biting her lip, she then watched as the Lieutenant got into her vehicle and drove off before scrunching her nose and her brows, the latter causing her forehead to crinkle. "I swear, if she was anymore apparent, in her lust, she would transform into a mirror..."

Chuckling, he pushed himself away from the car and tilted his head into her direction, his eyes once again light and playful. "Don't worry, detective. I'm not the slightest bit tempted by her."

Her heart fluttered. "Is that supposed to appease me or something?"

His eyes suddenly darkened. "Does it?"

"N-not at all, no," she stuttered, her tongue slightly uncooperative. Brushing some hair behind an ear, she then pressed on. "Why should it?"

He then shrugged his broad shoulders, his focus still set on her beautiful face. Brushing his gaze over her forehead, her high cheeks, her lips and then her neck, he inhaled deeply, trying to calm down his racing heart, as well as _other_ reactive extremities. Looking down at her shoes then back up at her, he resisted the urge to pray to his Father for some much needed strength. _You can't have her._..

"No reason," he replied dismissively, interrupting his own thoughts. His dark eyes clouded then suddenly glittered, his facade rearing its formidable head once again. "Can we go inside now? We have the Lieutenant's permission to investigate..."

"I guess you've been patient enough," she answered after a few seconds, her voice slightly squeaky. "Let's go."

Waving a hand towards the door, they both made their way inside, with Chloe taking the lead in the twist and turns of the corners. Walking faster than she intended to, she huffed and rolled her eyes at her reactions. She wasn't really _angry_ , per se...she was _determined_. She _will_ get to the bottom of his demeanor. She _will_. He was acting _too_ weird and inconsistent for her liking and if she was going to keep working with him, she needed answers, especially if _she_ was the problem. _As soon as we leave_ , she thought.

"Detective, Lucifer," the female coroner stated cordially upon their entrance, her head nodding in each's direction respectively. "We're all done in here. The initial photographs of the scene, the initial body examination and other useful information have all been marked," she informed, her tone neutral. Though some of the furniture had been moved, for further inspection, she had to squeeze herself into a compact space for the observations, which placed her between an undisturbed chair and a randomly placed table. Still kneeling next to the half-covered body, her hands fumbled with the top end of the fabric. After pulling and shaking the entangled and folded blanket loose, around the informant's back, she then proceeded to drape the deceased's head carefully, her movements more practiced and precise.

"Mildred," Chloe addressed the older woman, kindly. "Are they on their way to the lab?"

"If those men over there hurry up, then yes," she replied with a pointed head tilt and a smile.

"Do you know the time of death?"

"Based on his coloring and rigor, I'd say that he's been dead for more than five hours..."

"Hmm," Chloe muttered, her heart sinking. "Ok...thanks." She was about to head over to the men, who were charged with the evidence, when Lucifer decided to ask a couple more questions to the dutiful physician; making her turn back around in curiosity.

Moving, then squatting, adjacent to the coroner, he observed the victim's outline with an unreadable expression. "How did he die, exactly?"

The answer came promptly. "Based on his wounds, he had been struck, several times, to the left side of his face. The object had to be heavy and blunt enough to cause _this_ much damage to his skull, such as a...a thick candlestick holder _or_ an edged vase."

"What makes you say that?"

"His temporal and parietal bones were completely shattered and his jaw's dislocated. There are also blood traces on the wall behind me, suggesting that he had been hit with an excessive amount of force. The reasoning behind _that_ is that his legs are slightly tangled, at the ankles, meaning that, upon impact, he had twisted and fell hard onto his stomach, resulting in some stretched ligaments. I'll have to perform a more in-depth observation, during the autopsy, of course... _but_ there's also a chance that he had suffered more blows before dying. There's a contusion underneath his chin and _blood_ was found on the ceiling and some of the chairs located beside the body..."

Holding back his anger and his shock, Lucifer slowly pulled the sheet off of the man's face, wanting a better view of his injuries. It was bloodier than he remembered. Granted, he had been standing further away, but _still_. The closer you look at something, the more you can _see_. Unbothered by the graphicness of the murder, his dark eyes took it all in: the pool of blood resting and coagulating beneath his head, the deep burgundy lines and lacerations on his bruised and bloated face, the partly exposed and drooping mandible, the forever staring eyes...

The depravity of the act was written all over the individual and it disturbed Lucifer to no end.

There must be punishment.

No justice...just a pure and _painful_ punishment.

"Hey," Chloe gently called out to him, making him come back to earth with a jolt. "We'll find out more when she does the tests. We, on the other hand, can assist with bringing in the evidence."

"What about the tattoos?" he asked, thickly. "What about the research?"

"We can do that afterwards. The collected blood samples have to go to the laboratory soon or they're spoil and, even though we have other things to take care of, we should help with this first." When he remained silent, she took a step closer to his hunched form. "There's still time, Lucifer, and if not...we'll make some. He was one of my favorite informants..."

Nodding his head, he slowly re-covered the man's face, concealing the wounds inch-by-inch. Inhaling profoundly, he then stood up in one fluid motion and faced Chloe, his features hard and resolute. Frowning at his reaction to one of her source's death, she managed to resist in soothing him any further than she had already done. That's not what he needed right now. She knew him well enough to know that. He wanted the killer...and _hell_ help whoever was responsible because "mercy" wasn't a word Lucifer knew well when push-came-shove—especially if he was in the heat of the moment.

When he's like that...he's barely reachable...even to _her_.

"Oh," the coroner then said, finally moving aside when the stretcher and an already prepared body bag were brought in. She paused for a moment when they carefully removed the sheet, lifted and then placed the deceased into the pouch, the sound of the zipper tugging to a close with one firm pull. When they were in the midst of disposing the bloody coverlet and wheeling the body out of the room, she carried on, her voice very conversational. "I almost forgot to mention, he also had a mark _etched_ into his stomach. It was post-mortem, thankfully..."

After exchanging incredulous looks with each other, Chloe was the only one to respond. "Why 'thankfully'?"

"I couldn't imagine the torture he would've experienced if he was alive for that procedure," Mildred responded with a sad smile. "The cut pierced deeply into his stomach and his liver..."

"That's horrible," the detective whispered, her gaze following the disappearing stretcher. When the medical team pushed it fully outside of the door and into the adjacent one, leading into the dirty kitchen, Chloe looked at a quiet Lucifer. "Come on..."

Grabbing handful of bags, that ranged from blood samples to hair and some fiber specimens, they both weaved through the crime scene in order to get to her car. Some of the caution tape had been removed, so, they wouldn't have a problem leaving the area, but a crowd had since gathered on the opposite side of the sidewalk and in some parts of the street.

"This is definitely connected," Lucifer said, once they had settled the evidence into her trunk and had fully gotten into the vehicle. "It's all too bloody coincidental to _not_ be..."

"Mhm," she answered, pulling out of her parking spot and slowly moving it forward, trying not to hit a pedestrian. When she had successfully drove past a curious group of people, who had tried walking up to her car, she pressed on the gas and quickly took an exit leading into the freeway. "And Mildred did mention that he had a 'mark' on him. Though, we didn't _see_ it and she said that it was in a different _location_ , I have a gut feeling that it's the same one as the other three..."

"Quite," he said, his fingers playing with the door's side panel of buttons. "But if these _were_ coordinated, then we're possibly looking at some kind of _conspiracy_ , right? Like, a...a _death_ conspiracy...?"

Holding back the spurt of laughter she felt bubbling in her chest, at his description, she bit her lip. " _Close_. The difficult part would be proving that though..."

"Which is why we need to look into those tattoos..."

"Among other things, yes," she replied, making her car go faster with some added pressure from her toe. The sooner they got the items to the lab, the sooner they could begin piecing some things together, _hopefully_. The blood and hair samples would most likely be the ones to offer up the most valuable information, but they would have to do some waiting on those...the process wasn't an easy or quick one. "So, uh," she suddenly found herself saying, her words coming out all jumbled. "Are you feeling... _better_? Well, not 'better' in the sense that we just happened to stumble upon _another_ murder, but 'better' as in... _emotionally_...?"

Raising a brow at her unexpected questions, he looked over at her. "I've never felt _better_. Are you alright, detective? You're not making sense at all..."

"You know what I'm talking about, Lucifer," she said, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before returning her attention back to the road. _I did say as soon as we left_ , she thought. "The silent treatments, the weird change in attitude, you're, um, you're 'options'..."

His face then darkened, as if he had stepped into the shadows. Thumping the back of his head against the top portion of the seat, he sighed exasperatedly. "Still on that, are we?"

"Well, _yes_ ," she replied, merging in front of a car in order to get into the carpool lane. "You didn't give me anything to go on, explanation-wise, so, naturally, I'm concerned."

"I'm not a _child_ , detective, so, I don't need to explain myself to you or to anybody else..."

After widening her eyes, she then scoffed. "For somebody who doesn't _want_ to be treated like a child, he first has to learn how to stop _acting_ like one, especially when a person's just trying to help..."

Swallowing hard, Lucifer then looked out of the window. "Let me ask _you_ a question," he began huskily. Knowing that he had a knack for making situations worse, or generally difficult, he decided to _do_ exactly that. He needed to put some space between them anyway, so, why not start the wedge now? Inwardly groaning, he continued with their pointless argument. "What makes you think that I would accept said ' _help_ '?"

"Because you're not as harsh or as selfish as some would believe," she responded softly. She knew what he was doing. He was pushing her away, but she wasn't going to back down. "I've seen you grow in the months that we've been working together and now, all of a sudden, you've kinda relapsed back into that selfish and egotistical asshole—well, in _some_ ways." She quickly added that last part. She didn't want him to believe that his entire compass of morality had diminished in one setting. "I just want you to know that you can talk to me...I won't judge you..."

His answer came swift and unfiltered. "Judgment comes in many different forms, Chloe..."

Unused to hearing him utilize her first name—least not around her—she hesitated. Despite the way he had said it, she could still feel her skin tingle and flush at the sound of his voice. "What does _that_ mean?"

"Based on your reactions towards my family and my repeated attempts to convince you of _who_ I am, it's obvious that your sympathy only goes so far..."

Mouth dropping open, she found herself at a loss for words, but only for a few minutes. "Is _that_ what this is about?" she asked timidly, when she could speak, a tumble of emotions bouncing around inside of her stomach, chilling her skin at his revelation. "You won't tell me what's wrong because you're afraid that I won't believe whatever it is you have to say?"

Lifting his head from the seat, he turned to look at her, his eyes analyzing her profile. "That's part of it, yes."

"What's the other part?" she inquired almost breathlessly, finding it rather difficult to drive and listen to him at the same time. It was a good thing that they were nearly at the precinct. She could feel her fingers trembling on the steering wheel. She had no idea that he had thought of _her_ in that way. He couldn't confide in her because he didn't think that she would _listen_ to him? That cut her so deep that the simple concept of breathing was turning into a challenge. _Maybe, I should've dropped it_ , she then thought, sadly.

"Why are you so intrigued with this, detective?" Raising a brow, he watched her closely. Trying another tactic, he plunged in head first, using reverse psychology in order to get her to doubt everything—even the truth. "Do _you_ believe that all I think about, or do, always has something to do with _you_?"

"Uh, _no_ ," she said with a nervous laugh. Pulling into the precinct, she found a spot and instantly parked in it. After tugging her keys out of the ignition, she unlocked both doors before pushing her's open. "If you don't _want_ to share," she said, not looking at him. "Then why should I?"

Narrowing his eyes at how she had managed to turn the situation back onto him, Lucifer just watched as she shoved her keys into her jacket pocket before getting out and slamming the door on him. Clearing his dry throat, he copied her exact movements before following her to the trunk of the car, a sigh escaping past his lips. "I believe I struck a nerve," he commented offhandedly, gliding to where she was within seconds. She had thrown the back door open and began stacking the bags of evidence on top of one another, in the crook of her left arm, when Lucifer grabbed the one she was aiming for next. Looking up at him, she gave him an unreadable expression before carrying on, diligently filling her hands till they were completely packed.

"Is this your way of telling me that you're _not_ talking to me?" he asked, half-amused and half-annoyed. After reaching in to take what she couldn't get, he closed the trunk with the tip of his elbow—since his hands were also full. "Is this some sort of revenge for my quiet, thinking time earlier? Or are you just upset that I'm not really in a _sharing_ mood?"

She didn't answer him. She simply steadied the items, that were in her care, and gingerly shuffled around, her hair flipping from side-to-side when she did so. Rolling his eyes, he trailed behind her, allowing her some necessary distance in order for her to cool down. She had to speak to him _sometime_ today. They did have a case to solve together and dialogue _was_ a major part of solving crime...

Doing his best not to focus on the gentle sway of her hips and the lingering trail of her perfume, he purposefully zoned out. When he really thought about it, he honestly didn't _intend_ for her to take his words so...so hard and literal. He just had to, for both their sakes, start the distancing process, which honestly, would hurt _him_ more in the long run anyway.

Sighing, he ignored the ache that had suddenly punched violently against his innards. _This could very well be our last case together_ , he reflected bitterly. _Well, it's not like she will really miss me_. _According to my extensive and repeatable history, I am easily replaceable_...

As soon as they approached the laboratory, they were greeted happily by Ella, their new forensic scientist, who was in the midst of leaving her station. "Oh, hey guys!"

"Hi, Ella," Chloe greeted warmly, giving no indication of what had just happened. "We have new evidence for you to process."

"Yeah, I heard about the new murder. I'm sorry, Chloe, I know that he was one of yours..."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," she responded wistfully. "Where do you want these?" Lifting up the bags in her arms, she looked about the room for a brief moment before being told to put them down on the faraway table, to her right. After rounding about some of the other furniture, she then delicately placed the important materials atop the clear surface before immediately making room for a dutiful Lucifer. Going the opposite way, she folded her arms across her chest and walked back towards Ella, who had been watching them, the whole time, with some interest.

"I know that you were on your way out, but would you mind testing the blood now or having some of your technicians do it? We need those done asap."

"No problem," she replied, her features becoming more professional when she moved towards Lucifer and the table. "It's just me, at the moment, but I'll get on that...presently...I mean, my lunch _can_ wait..."

"Also," Chloe began, stopping the young woman in her tracks. Feeling bad for badgering her, she spoke faster. "Did you manage to find anything on the triple murder today? I know that it may be short notice, but we'll take anything you may have discovered..."

"Sorry, everything's still being analyzed," Ella responded, wincing. "My reports will, most likely, be ready in a few days or so. There's just so many details to look at and some things are starting to backlog—"

"—I understand," the detective politely interrupted. "I was just hoping...Well, call me when you have something. Lucifer and I are going to do some research on the tattoos."

"Sounds like fun," Ella said, glancing back at the man, who returned her gaze. "Try not to pummel anyone before they spill their guts to you, ok?"

Grinning, he instantly replied back. "I make no promises, but I usually extend that courtesy only to gang members, I mean, _really_...they just _ask_ for it."

"Hey, Chloe," a man then called out from the hallway, quickly garnering her attention. Waving goodbye to the amused scientist, she left the room and nearly bumped into Fred, a nice, heavyset cop with beady eyes.

"Yes?" He was holding a folder in his hands, but she had shifted her focus when he answered.

"You're in charge of the triple homicide and the new murder, correct?" When she nodded her head, he continued. "Well, I just got a call from my partner. He was supposed to meet up with _his_ informant, at his house, when he stumbled upon the man's dead bloody body on the front porch." Lifting up the files, he then handed them to her. "This contains all you that need to know about the guy. My partner wants to know if there's any correlation between these two separate cases."

Shocked, Chloe glanced at the new information that was now in her possession. "And he just called this in?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago. Some of our people are on their way to the new crime scene..."

"Ok, let me and the Lieutenant know the details. I'm on my way out to do something relating to the murders, but, uh..." she then paused, her mind swimming. It _all_ had to be connected. Her and Lucifer had been on the right track with their theories and now, with this new death, they definitely had to get on it right away. "...this is crazy..."

"It's fucking nuts," Fred concurred, his tone more hushed. "What if there's more mysterious murders out there? What about _other_ cop's informants?"

"Do me a favor," she said, moving closer to him. "Stay here, at the precinct, and have as many people as you can check in on their informants, well-known first then downwards. Make a list of anything suspicious, like: if they're not responding back to you, if they're frightened, if they've noticed somebody or a group following them, _anything_... "

"Ok, sounds like a plan," he said, nodding at her before hustling back to his work station, his duty clear.

Shaking her head in horror and disbelief, she turned back around and nearly bumped into Lucifer, who had been standing behind her the whole time, in silence. Blocking the lab's entrance, he gave her a grim expression. "This could be a way to bring down the police force, from the outside..."

Speechless, she tilted her head towards the parking lot, slyly signaling for them to leave. Without anybody else stopping them, on their way out, they both headed for her car, their thoughts occupied with what they had just learned.

"Taking it from your conspiracy approach," Chloe said, breaking her (short-lived) silent treatment, towards him, when they walked to their respective sitting arrangements. After pulling her keys out, she then rested her hands atop the car, meeting his awaiting eyes. "If there _are_ more homicides out there, we're dealing with more than ten members, _possibly_ more than twenty, and they're systematically killing them off around the same time, despite the different MO."

"The question is _why_ ," he answered, pressing himself against the car. "Why the _informants_?"

"So, they won't talk?"

"That's a good guess when you consider that _that_ is their stance in life..."

Rolling her eyes, instead of laughing, she opened then closed her door, upon entry, patiently waiting for him to do the same. Once he was inside, she shifted in her seat, her hands gesturing beside the wheel. "Um, I'm sorry..."

In the midst of fastening himself in, he raised his brow. "Oh, what _for_ , detective?"

Recognizing the slight teasing in his voice, she put the keys back into the ignition and turned them, the vibrations of the engine soon humming beneath her seat. "For being too nosy. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. I should just mind my own business where you're concerned..."

"That's quite _astute_ of you," he purred, leaning into her side, subjecting her to _his_ impersonation of the Lieutenant, but when he noticed how close his face was to her's, his voice cracked. Completely aware of the fact that his action was a _bad_ idea—not to mention, a confusing one, considering what he had just _done_ —he snapped back into his seat, his features calming into his charming, but stuttering, self. "If that's, um, how you feel...and...I'm, I'm ready to leave when you are, detective."

"Um..."

During his performance, she had jumped slightly, but when he resumed his normal position, she relaxed back down into her seat. Giving him a side-look, one that carefully masked her stirred feelings, she exhaled shakily. "Y-yeah, I'm ready..." she then paused before making a short, additional statement: "...weirdo..."

Feigning astonishment, he brought his hands up to his chest, dramatically. "I'm _so_ offended that I may stop talking to you again..."

"Don't start."

"Because I'm _childish_ like that," he then teased, propping his right elbow against the closed window.

Shutting her eyes for a moment, she shook her head before looking over her left shoulder to back out. "You know what? The quiet game _does_ sound nice right about now..."

"Fine, _mum_."

"Sweet Jesus," she muttered, stifling the happy feelings that were trickling around inside of her at their regular bantering. He didn't know it, but he had the ability to make her smile without even trying. Sure, it could be annoying at times, but it was true.

"Oh, please, don't mention _Him_ ," Lucifer moaned, referring to her choice of expression. "I already have family issues without _that_ person being brought up, thank you very much..."

Biting her tongue, she exited the lot and turned to the right, heading towards a streetlight. " _Anyway_ , I'm taking us to a library. It's time to actually get started on those markings..."

He was quiet for a moment before he changed the subject, to some degree—that familiar light tinting his eyes. "...It's most likely a gang..."

Chloe groaned. "Annnnnnd here we go again..."

"It's a perfectly reasonable assumption! Those tattoos could be a _form_ of their graffiti...a _symbol_ of their ignorance and stupidity, _and_ they _do_ have a habit of picking on people, those shallow—"

"Hey—" Chloe interrupted, her eyes zooming in on a person, who was on the sidewalk. She had been minding the road, Lucifer's hate rant and her own thoughts when a woman had caught her attention. It wasn't her _specifically..._ but she _was_ wearing something that needed to be addressed. After passing the streetlight, she immediately put her blinker on and pulled over, lightly throwing the distracted man, in her car, against the door.

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to notice.

"—bloody pieces of—"

"Hey!"

"—space and air—"

" _Lucifer_!"

" _What_?" he responded, somewhat forcefully, annoyed at her interjections.

" _Look_!"

Pointing at the woman, she parked and then grabbed her keys before flinging open the door, slipping out of it with noticeable haste.

At first, Lucifer was confused. He lifted his hands up, in bewilderment, and then shrugged his shoulders. "What the _bloody_ hell are you—"

Then...he _saw_ it.

It was half-exposed, but definitely recognizable.

"This just got more bloody complicated," he commented before taking action.

Following her, for about the millionth time that day, he got out and slammed his door shut, his movements prompt and agile. Catching up to her easily, they both made their way over to the young woman, who stopped walking when she saw them. Her eyes widened and she took a step back when they rapidly approached her, Chloe revealing her identity with a flap of her jacket—her badge gleaming in the sunlight.

"W-what did I do?" she asked, raising her hands up, as if they were about to attack her. "I did nothing wrong..."

The pair instantly blocked her path, both their features curious and unyielding.

"I just have a couple of questions for you," Chloe responded firmly before pointing a finger at the woman's partially bare shoulder. "Where did you get that _and_ what does it mean?"

" _What_?"

Lucifer took a step forward, the air around him growing still and ominous. "Tell us about your tattoo and don't think about lying to us because we've already had a trying day..."

The woman's mouth opened then closed. She then looked around nervously. "I-I don't k-know what you're talking about..."

"The _hell_ you don't," he snarled. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her towards him, her tiny body instantly overshadowed by his. She struggled, but he was too strong and too determined to be bothered by it, or anybody else that may be watching their encounter. Observing half of the marking, he then shoved away the small strap of her tank top, to reveal the whole thing, his anger increasing the more he looked at it. "Don't worry," he began, his tone inhuman. "I won't hurt you, but I do have _ways_ of making you talk..."

Staring into his black eyes, she gulped, fear consuming her. "F-fine," she stuttered, looking over at at conflicted Chloe. "I'll talk...b-but you must _swear_ to protect me..."

 **...**

 **Tell me what you think!**


	5. Trick or Treat?

**Hey guys!**

 **It's been awhile, but I'm back!**

 **Here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Love,**

 **FantasyWriterFoSho**

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 **Summary of the Previous Chapter** **: After finding Chloe's murdered informant, having a small spat, and discovering another body, the pair happens upon a woman with a familiar tattoo...**

 **…**

 **Chapter Five** **:** **Trick or Treat?**

 **…**

" **L** et her _go_ , Lucifer," Chloe said as she moved closer to him. Laying a hand on his arm—the one that was still gripping the terrified woman—she repeated her statement, but more forcefully, trying to get him to understanding the gravity of their situation. An electrifying shock traveled up her arm, at the mere contact, but she managed to suppress the muffled moan in her throat.

She had to concentrate on the matter at hand... _not_ on her internal struggles.

When he still didn't do as she asked—his glare growing more and more sinister—she forcefully squeezed then shook their linked limbs. "She said that she was _willing_ to talk to us, but _frightening_ her is going to _change_ her mind. _Let. Her. Go_."

Finally reaching him, he exhaled slowly, doing his best to recenter himself. Dropping his hold on the young woman, he swallowed his anger. "As you wish, detective and...you're _right_..." —though he had severed his hold on her, his eyes never moved from her wide ones. Glazing over their possible suspect's face, he noted the terrified expression she was wearing and felt a mixture of conflicting emotions stir around inside of him.

"I apologize for my partner's behavior," Chloe began, moving herself in-between the two in order to deter another further confrontations. With a professional, bright smile, she continued. "He's, uh, a _passionate_ investigator. Let's, um, start again. My name is Detective Decker. What's your name?"

"...Madison," she responded, nervously rubbing at the spot that Lucifer had touched, her fingers stopping, several times, to massage it. "It's Madison."

"Alright, _Madison_ ," Chloe said, her tone evening out. "Tell me about your tattoo. What does it exactly mean?"

"Uh," the young lady answered, immediately hesitating on what she was about to say. Looking about herself, once again, she took a step back and tried changing the subject. "You both stopped me— _he_ _harassed_ me—over a _tattoo_?"

After shooting an irritated look over her shoulder at Lucifer, who responded by looking away, the detective returned her attention back to the shaken girl. "Once again, I apologize for what had happened, but right now, we're working on a serious case and the stress is—" She paused for a brief moment before finding the appropriate, or less revealing, words: "—really _affecting_ him."

Clearing his throat, Lucifer interjected, his eyes still boring holes into the young lady, despite his answer being directed at Chloe. "' _Affecting_ ' isn't the word for it, love..."

"You're not helping..."

"Seems to be the trend of the day, doesn't it, detective?"

Rolling her eyes, she readdressed the issue. "When we confronted _you_ , we immediately referred to the tattoo and _you_ said that you would tell us something." Knowing that she had her when the girl swallowed hard, she continued, her tone firm, but also, gentle. "You're backtracking, but whatever the reason is, you don't have to be afraid of us or anybody else. We'll protect you."

"' _Protect_ ' me?!" Madison suddenly screamed out, automatically putting Chloe on her guard. "How will you be able to do that? You've already lost some _other_ people on your watch!"

Recovering quickly from the outburst, Chloe narrowed her eyes. "And _how_ exactly would you know that? That news hasn't been shared or released to the public..."

Caught, Madison stammered and looked around, once again, adding to the detective's pile of suspicious behavior. "It w-was just a g-guess! People die _everyday_...don't they?"

"The fact that you have to turn _that_ into a _question_ is both moronic and dubious," Lucifer stated flatly, trying to regain his earlier composure. He needed to reign in his attitude, as well as to try and have _some_ control if they wanted to get any answers, which was one of the things he had learned from his prolonged exposure to earthly tendencies—particularly from working on the more serious cases with the detective.

Stepping out from behind a wary Chloe, he strode over to Madison's right side, his features melting into a reasonable facade. "Tell me, what are you so afraid of?"

"N-nothing," she answered, unconvincingly. Stepping back, for some space, she then hugged her arms around her stomach, her gaze falling to her shoes. "I'm...I'm just—"

"You're just delaying us and setting us back a few minutes," he growled. _So much for regaining my control_ , he thought bleakly before inhaling sharply. Now, he acknowledged, would be an _excellent_ time to bust out his "superpower", _but_ , despite agreeing to use it earlier, with Chloe, he knew that it wouldn't work to their advantage—what with his transformation and all.

It was one of his talents that had begun wasting away.

Training his jaw against his shortcomings, he then glared at her. "Tell us what we want to know or we can't make any assurances to your wellbeing."

Madison's eyes fluttered up to his face; an unbelievable fear consuming them. She then shifted her attention over to a quiet Chloe, who had been biting her tongue, debating about whether or not to comply with his statement. Releasing her arms and brushing a shaky hand through her hair, she moved back to her original spot and leaned into Lucifer, her tone very low. "The tattoo belongs to a secret, underground crime ring..."

"How _secretive_?"

"They've been operating under the cops' noses for about 35 years. They're everywhere..."

"Maybe we should continue this conversation in a more private setting," Chloe cut in, her eyes now wandering around the streets, the people and the shops. Leading the pair to her car, they each got in. Lucifer and herself had settled into their respective positions, though they had to turn their top halves around in order to pay attention to a terrified Madison, who was sitting in the middle backseat, her arms once again hugging her petite frame. Biting her lip, Chloe asked her to continue, training her features into a neutral and professional expression, warring her inner thoughts. Pulling out a pad and pen from her jacket pocket, she listened to Madison's important story.

"They're _crazy_ and dangerous," she said, her voice wavering. "I regret joining them, but I only did it for their protection. The tattoo is a symbol of their _loyalty_. You become _their_ property." After pausing to breathe, she carried on with her information. "They will kill anybody who gets in their way _or_ even if they _suspect_ that somebody's on their trail. I should know..."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, tilting her head, her hand hovering over a section of paper.

Licking her lips, Madison shifted in her seat, her voice cracking and her eyes filling with tears. "My boyfriend was just murdered by them..."

"Who was he?"

"His name was Tom Larkin."

Eyes widening, Chloe froze. "Tom _Benjamin_ Larkin? He did time for robbery five years ago?"

Frowning, Madison exchanged a look with Lucifer, who then gazed over at the detective with concern, before answering her. "Yes, that's him."

"Oh my God," Chloe breathed out, dropping her pen into her lap.

"What is it?" Lucifer asked, leaning closer to her. He was about to grab at her wrist, the one that was now gripping the pad tightly, when she met his gaze, a bit pale around the eyes and mouth.

"Tom... _Tom_ was _my_ informant. The one we just...He was the one we just saw...at his _house_...he was..."

Though her explanation was fragmented, and it trailed off at the end, Lucifer immediately understood _who_ she was talking about and fell back into his seat. Turning his body forward, so that he sat more naturally, he then shook his head. "And then we happened upon his girlfriend. My dad sure does have an impeccable sense of timing."

"Not now," Chloe automatically retorted to Lucifer's statement, still stunned by the news. There was a chilling correlation beginning to unfold with their cases and she didn't like it. If this organization was _indeed_ as _big_ as this woman was making them out to be—and it appeared to be so—things could get a lot _worse_ than just a handful of murders.

Looking back at a confused Madison, who had begun eyeing the door handle with interest, Chloe cleared her throat and asked her to continue, her voice slightly scratchy, but doable.

After hesitating for a moment, the woman complied. "Yeah, Tom was my boyfriend and, uh, when they found out that he was doubling as an _informant_ , your informant apparently, they killed him."

Curious, Chloe's brow raised. "How did you know that he was killed? Did they contact you in some way?"

"They taped it and sent me some pictures," she replied slowly.

Chloe's eyes widened with various emotions. "Do you still have them?"

Madison spastically shook her head, her hair swaying against her neck. "No, I followed their instructions and d-deleted them. As bad as it sounds, I didn't want to be next..."

Releasing a breath that she didn't know she was holding, Chloe took a moment before carrying on, deciding to take a different approach. "Did Tom mention anything to you? Like, he was being followed or, or _watched_?"

"We're _always_ being watched," she said, her shoulders shaking a bit. "That's what they _do_. It _is_ a great thing if you're not the one under the microscope, but, uh, I should tell you that Tom wasn't _actually_ a member, least...not yet. That's why they etched the marking into him." She paused, her foot beginning to tap the car's floor, nervously. "But once you're in, or even if you _know_ some things about them, you're connected to them for _life_. There's _no_ walking away from them, none that I know of anyway."

"So, by _that_ logic, the detective and I are members of this elusive, but vast, crime ring?" Lucifer asked, skeptically.

"Pretty much," she responded back, evenly.

"Say that I believe that," he said, still facing forward, but his voice echoed throughout the car. "You mentioned that they're ' _everywhere_ '..."

His eyes then scanned over what he could see of the bustling city, but he didn't find anything, or _anybody_ , of particular interest. Turning his attention to the top of the buildings, he then suddenly narrowed his eyes. On a spacious rooftop, several feet away, he could see individuals standing by an edge, their faces indistinguishable; however, he could make out four individual forms—all wearing dark suits. It could be just his curious and untrusting nature, but it _bothered_ him, especially since they all appeared to be looking in _their_ direction. "Do you know _how_ they can do that exactly?"

"Through whatever means," she replied quietly. "Which means that they probably know that I'm talking to you." Letting out a gasp, she then moved her hands, from around her body, to her face. Covering her eyes, the tears from earlier began streaking down her cheeks, panicky sobs quickly overtaking her. "T-they're gonna _kill_ me! I _am_ gonna be next!"

"No, no you're not," Chloe said firmly, officially foregoing her notes by picking up her pen and then placing it, along with the pad, into the car's console. "You're coming with us. We're going to take you into our protective custody."

"That doesn't mean _anything_ anymore," Madison spat out, bitterly. "I stupidly got _in_ the car with you! Regardless of the situation, if I come with you guys or not, they will _hunt_ me down! No excuse would be good enough. My body will be in the ground before the week ends..."

"Please, make up your mind," Lucifer then said, his tone impatient. "Either you want us to protect you or you don't, but in any case," he stopped, looking at Chloe with a stern expression. "I think we should be on our way, detective."

"Right," she answered with a nod, noticing the grave glint in his eyes. "But...she's coming _with_ us."

"I'd prefer it," he agreed softly. Looking back at Madison, he gave her a half smile, one that brightened up his face, but also made the woman even more nervous—having not seen this side to him before. "Buckle up. The detective is a reckless driver, particularly when _I'm_ in the car."

"That's _so_ not true," Chloe retorted, rolling her eyes. After she made sure that everybody was properly situated, she faced forward and pulled out of her parking spot, quickly making her way back to the precinct; a decision that made her partner noticeably relax—which was a good, but also, a suspicious thing. _I'll just have to ask him about what he saw later_ , she thought.

The air, inside of the car, became intensely thick with tension and that only increased when Lucifer cut through the silence.

Looking over his shoulder, he made slight eye contact with Madison. "Color me intrigued, but how does one _physically_ become a member of the crime ring?"

"Are you serious?" she answered, taken aback. "Why would you want to know that? Isn't it enough that I _told_ you about them?"

"Of course, I'm serious," he responded. "If we want to dismantle them, what better way then to do it from the _inside_? Unless...you don't _want_ that to happen...?"

She said nothing. She just swallowed hard and looked down at her hands.

"Nice bluff," Chloe whispered, slightly leaning over, to her right, so only Lucifer could hear her.

"I wasn't bluffing. I meant it," he replied, a brow raised. "Do you have a _better_ solution?"

"Oh, no, no," she said, shaking her head. Pulling into the precinct's parking lot, she quickly found a spot and motioned him to get out of the car. When they had both stepped out and shut their doors, Chloe gestured at Madison, telling her to wait inside for a few minutes, which she automatically headed to. Placing her hands on top of the car, she inclined forward, her features expressive. "That's a _dumb_ plan and there are _plenty_ of solutions to choose from. I'm _not_ doing that and neither are you."

"Are you worried about that ' _everywhere_ ' nonsense?"

" _Yes_ ," she answered, her voice harsh. "Based off of the triple murder, Tom's and another informant's death, you should be concerned as well. Besides," she said, inhaling sharply. "I have Trixie and I...I..."

Face falling, Lucifer watched as Chloe struggled for the right words. Heart clenching, he raised a surrendering hand. "You're right. I understand. Forgive me. It's been a trying day..."

Briefly bending to look inside of the car, at their guest, he resumed his position, his back straightening to his full height. "How are we going to handle this?"

"Well, we could question her now before possibly putting her into a witness protection program, but I honestly think that we should do what we were _going_ to do before Madison entered the picture. We _have_ to start building up our case with _more_ research, besides...she needs to feel unexposed and _safe_ before we can interview her further." Chloe then frowned. "The poor thing's a nervous wreck..."

" _So_ ," he began, tilting his head. "Off to your favorite library then?"

"For the thousandth time today," she said with a weak smile. Clearing her throat, she then waved a hand at Madison, telling her that it was okay for her to come out. When she did so, she looked around apprehensively before steadily following the pair into the building, her body hunched and trembling. She was then directed into an interrogation room, where she was _then_ told that she would have to wait for an "undisclosed period of time"—a concept that she wasn't very fond of.

"Why am I staying in _here_?!" she shouted to the standing figures of the detective and Lucifer, both of whom were standing near the door; the former closer to her then the latter.

"We have a few things to take care of first, but don't worry. We'll be right back," Chloe explained, her voice calm. "Nobody will be allowed in here, except for me and Lucifer. You're completely safe, but for added protection, I will be placing a cop to guard the room. He'll just be on the other side of the door if you need _anything_."

Narrowing her eyes, Madison looked over at the man blocking the door. "Your name's _Lucifer_? _Really_?"

"The one and only," he replied tartly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes in frustration.

She shrugged her shoulders before shuffling her feet, her gaze roaming over the two of them. "And you'll be _right_ back? You _promise_?"

"Yes," Chloe replied, giving her a reassuring smile.

Sighing heavily, Madison reluctantly made her way over to the chair and sat down in it, desperately trying to take some comfort in _where_ she was and in the fact that she would be secure. For the most part, she trusted the detective...her partner was _another_ story, but he _seemed_ like he wanted to help her. So, after a heartbeat, she agreed to their terms. "Ok...but _please_ don't take too long."

"We won't," Chloe responded gently, sending a spurt of relief throughout the young woman's body. Turning around to exit, which Lucifer allowed with a quick sidestep, she then left the room without a backwards glance; however, he, _didn't_ leave at all. Instead, he moved into the room and didn't stop till he stood beside her, his height forcing her to look up at him.

"You never answered my question," he said, his voice low. He knew that Chloe wouldn't approve of this line of questioning, given what they had just discussed, so he waited till she was gone. He needed a backup plan, just in case things took a turn for the worst, and that usually had a way of happening around him; reformation or not.

The Devil has to stay one step ahead—or would like to anyway. " _How_ do you become a _member_?"

Furrowing her brow, she tried to avoid his dark gaze, but his frame prevented her from doing so. Bending down, till he was _all_ that she saw, she scooted her chair back, her eyes once again filling with fear. "Y-y-you," she stammered before taking a moment to get the jumbled words out of her throat. "You don't. _They_ find you. You have to have something they want..."

"Such as?"

"Valuable information," she replied, again trying to look away.

"That prompts a necessary question," he said, his steely eyes forcing her to resume contact. "What valuable information did _you_ have to become part of their crime ring?"

"I—"

"Lucifer?" Chloe then called out, interrupting Madison before he could get his answer. When he didn't respond, she repeated his name, but this time, it was closer to the door. Sighing heavily, he unfolded his curved frame and adjusted the hem of his coat.

"Let's keep this little chat to ourselves, shall we? I don't want to worry the detective with trivial matters, _but_ ," he said, giving her one final appraisal as he walked over to the door. "I expect an answer when I come back."

She opened her mouth, as if to reply, but ended up closing it, her lips falling into a thin line. Settling for just a nod of the head, Madison watched as Lucifer left, shutting the door quietly behind him. Breathing deeply, she then folded her arms onto the table, her worrisome thoughts threatening to consume her in the silence of the room. Unnerved by the one-way mirror that she was facing, she lulled her head down onto the desk, her forehead meeting the warmth of one of her arms, desperately trying to relax in her new prison. _Please, hurry_ , she thought. _Or I may explode_.

 **...**

 **M** aking her way back to the interrogation room, Chloe almost ran into an emerging Lucifer, confused and curious as to why he was still with Madison. Standing inches away from him, she felt a tingling warmth crawl up her neck and into her cheeks when she found herself looking into his dark and mesmerizing eyes. Lips parting, she tried to do everything in her power to not _fall_ into them— _again_ —especially when he decided to give her his stupid, but disarming, smile. "Uh," she heard herself say, feeling an embarrassing chill wash over her due to her failing communicational skills.

"Slow down, detective," he responded, taking a small step closer to her, her scent overwhelming him. His suave personality, once again, overthrowing an awkward situation. "I don't think our partnership would survive if anything happened to you."

"Lucifer," she whispered, finding it difficult to breathe when he looked at her like that. The moment seemed to last forever but they didn't have time to waste. Lifting a hand, she placed it onto his chest and pushed herself away, the hypnotizing cloud dissipating with every backward step she took. Inhaling deeply, Chloe looked down before meeting his eyes again, reseting herself till her detective mode was back on. "What were you doing with Madison? Did she tell you something new?"

Missing the proximity, he faltered, but quickly recovered with a wider grin. "Not really. She was just expressing her concerns at being left alone."

"If what she's saying is _true_ , then I don't blame her," she responded with a short nod. "So, while you guys were _bonding_ , I went to see if the Lieutenant had gotten back from her other cases and such, but she's still out. I _did_ manage to reach her with a phone call though...and the _good_ news is that she supports our decision of keeping Madison here while we head out for a bit..."

"Quick work, detective," Lucifer declared, eyes beaming. "I was only alone with the girl for about a minute..."

"What can I say? I work well on my feet," she answered, gesturing them back towards the parking lot, their strides equal and swift. They reached the car in record time and immediately climbed in. After she had put her key into the ignition and then set it into drive, she glanced over at him, for a brief second, before speaking again. "But there's _more_..."

Frowning, he recalled what she had just told him. "Was there any _bad_ news?"

"Isn't there always?" she retorted, grimly. "We have to find something soon because...there's been another murder..."

"You got to be kidding me," he stated under breath, bringing his right hand to his forehand before sliding it down to his chin. "Another informant?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, speeding down several streets until she hit some traffic. "I also checked in with Fred, since Ella was super busy, and he told me something incredibly disturbing. So far, _thirteen_ out of forty informants haven't responded to their respective detective or cop, which makes me think that they're probably in danger too...I asked him to email them to me, so we can possibly pay them a visit or something...but I don't like this, Lucifer."

"I don't either," he said, his mind whirling. "Looks like I was correct about that _death_ conspiracy..."

"Looks like."

They then traveled the rest of the twenty minutes in silence; each contemplating the deadly situation that they had unknowingly entered into. The day wasn't even halfway done and they were _already_ behind on what was happening around them, so, when they reached their destination, Chloe practically threw the car into park and jumped out of her seat; her intention clear.

Slamming their doors, they then entered the rustic-looking building, their eyes instantly falling onto a handful of well-stocked shelves.

"Where to?" Lucifer whispered, immediately following her when she bolted over to a specific section of the library.

Looking over her shoulder, she answered him with the same hushed tone. "To the computers. I want to know what the Internet has on those damn tattoos—crime ring, etc..."

"She did say they were ' _a symbol of their loyalty_ '..."

"True, but _I'm_ going to approach this from _all_ angles. With everything that has been going on, I'm not just going to rely on what _she_ decided to tell me."

Gently pulling up a chair, she plopped down into it before scooting it closer to the desk, her face a mask of determination. Grabbing ahold of the mouse, she moved it, bringing the screen to life within seconds. After looking for something specific, she then clicked onto an icon and reached for the worn keyboard, typing the information into the Search Box till she had multiple tabs open.

Lucifer just stood over her and watched as she lined them up on the screen; his eyes mulling over the images and the words that accompanied them.

"We were right to not just trust her information," Chloe murmured, alerting her partner to the page that had caught her attention with a pointed finger. "Look at this."

Leaning forward, he carefully skimmed through the indicated paragraph and his mouth dropped open. Looking at his partner's serious profile, he spoke in his normal voice. "Well, well, well...looks like our little friend has quite the violent history..."

Propping her head up with her left hand, Chloe pursed her lips in irritation. "Mhm. Madison is _not_ only in _deep_ with the crime ring..."

"It looks like she is a _high_ member of the organization," he finished with narrowed eyes. _Looks like our future chat has just taken an aggressive turn_ , he thought ominously, his eyes flashing red.

 **...**

 **Tell me what you think! I'd love to hear from you!**


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